Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 03 (16 page)

Then they joyfully left the desert island, and after a long and
prosperous voyage over calm seas they at length came in sight of
land, and resolved to go on shore, not only to take in a fresh
stock of water and provisions, but also to find out, if possible,
where they were and in what direction to proceed.

As they neared the coast they wondered if this could be another
uninhabited land, for no human beings could be distinguished, and
yet that something was stirring became evident, for in the dust-
clouds that moved near the ground small dark forms were dimly
visible. These appeared to be assembling at the exact spot where
they were preparing to run ashore, and what was their surprise to
find they were nothing more nor less than large and beautiful
spaniels, some mounted as sentries, others grouped in companies
and regiments, all eagerly watching their disembarkation. When
they found that Prince Mannikin, instead of saying, 'Shoot them,'
as they had feared, said 'Hi, good dog!' in a thoroughly friendly
and ingratiating way, they crowded round him with a great wagging
of tails and giving of paws, and very soon made him understand
that they wanted him to leave his men with the boat and follow
them. The Prince was so curious to know more about them that he
agreed willingly; so, after arranging with the sailors to wait for
him fifteen days, and then, if he had not come back, to go on
their way without him, he set out with his new friends. Their way
lay inland, and Mannikin noticed with great surprise that the
fields were well cultivated and that the carts and ploughs were
drawn by horses or oxen, just as they might have been in any other
country, and when they passed any village the cottages were trim
and pretty, and an air of prosperity was everywhere. At one of the
villages a dainty little repast was set before the Prince, and
while he was eating, a chariot was brought, drawn by two splendid
horses, which were driven with great skill by a large spaniel. In
this carriage he continued his journey very comfortably, passing
many similar equipages upon the road, and being always most
courteously saluted by the spaniels who occupied them. At last
they drove rapidly into a large town, which Prince Mannikin had no
doubt was the capital of the kingdom. News of his approach had
evidently been received, for all the inhabitants were at their
doors and windows, and all the little spaniels had climbed upon
the wall and gates to see him arrive. The Prince was delighted
with the hearty welcome they gave him, and looked round him with
the deepest interest. After passing through a few wide streets,
well paved, and adorned with avenues of fine trees, they drove
into the courtyard of a grand palace, which was full of spaniels
who were evidently soldiers. 'The King's body-guard,' thought the
Prince to himself as he returned their salutations, and then the
carriage stopped, and he was shown into the presence of the King,
who lay upon a rich Persian carpet surrounded by several little
spaniels, who were occupied in chasing away the flies lest they
should disturb his Majesty. He was the most beautiful of all
spaniels, with a look of sadness in his large eyes, which,
however, quite disappeared as he sprang up to welcome Prince
Mannikin with every demonstration of delight; after which he made
a sign to his courtiers, who came one by one to pay their respects
to the visitor. The Prince thought that he would find himself
puzzled as to how he should carry on a conversation, but as soon
as he and the King were once more left alone, a Secretary of State
was sent for, who wrote from his Majesty's dictation a most polite
speech, in which he regretted much that they were unable to
converse, except in writing, the language of dogs being difficult
to understand. As for the writing, it had remained the same as the
Prince's own.

Mannikin thereupon wrote a suitable reply, and then begged the
King to satisfy his curiosity about all the strange things he had
seen and heard since his landing. This appeared to awaken sad
recollections in the King's mind, but he informed the Prince that
he was called King Bayard, and that a Fairy, whose kingdom was
next his own, had fallen violently in love with him, and had done
all she could to persuade him to marry her; but that he could not
do so as he himself was the devoted lover of the Queen of the
Spice Islands. Finally, the Fairy, furious at the indifference
with which her love was treated, had reduced him to the state in
which the Prince found him, leaving him unchanged in mind, but
deprived of the power of speech; and, not content with wreaking
her vengeance upon the King alone, she had condemned all his
subjects to a similar fate, saying:

'Bark, and run upon four feet, until the time comes when virtue
shall be rewarded by love and fortune.'

Which, as the poor King remarked, was very much the same thing as
if she had said, 'Remain a spaniel for ever and ever.'

Prince Mannikin was quite of the same opinion; nevertheless he
said what we should all have said in the same circumstances:

'Your Majesty must have patience.'

He was indeed deeply sorry for poor King Bayard, and said all the
consoling things he could think of, promising to aid him with all
his might if there was anything to be done. In short they became
firm friends, and the King proudly displayed to Mannikin the
portrait of the Queen of the Spice Islands, and he quite agreed
that it was worth while to go through anything for the sake of a
creature so lovely. Prince Mannikin in his turn told his own
history, and the great undertaking upon which he had set out, and
King Bayard was able to give him some valuable instructions as to
which would be the best way for him to proceed, and then they went
together to the place where the boat had been left. The sailors
were delighted to see the Prince again, though they had known that
he was safe, and when they had taken on board all the supplies
which the King had sent for them, they started once more. The King
and Prince parted with much regret, and the former insisted that
Mannikin should take with him one of his own pages, named Mousta,
who was charged to attend to him everywhere, and serve him
faithfully, which he promised to do.

The wind being favourable they were soon out of hearing of the
general howl of regret from the whole army, which had been given
by order of the King, as a great compliment, and it was not long
before the land was entirely lost to view. They met with no
further adventures worth speaking of, and presently found
themselves within two leagues of the harbour for which they were
making. The Prince, however, thought it would suit him better to
land where he was, so as to avoid the town, since he had no money
left and was very doubtful as to what he should do next. So the
sailors set him and Mousta on shore, and then went back
sorrowfully to their ship, while the Prince and his attendant
walked off in what looked to them the most promising direction.
They soon reached a lovely green meadow on the border of a wood,
which seemed to them so pleasant after their long voyage that they
sat down to rest in the shade and amused themselves by watching
the gambols and antics of a pretty tiny monkey in the trees close
by. The Prince presently became so fascinated by it that he sprang
up and tried to catch it, but it eluded his grasp and kept just
out of arm's reach, until it had made him promise to follow
wherever it led him, and then it sprang upon his shoulder and
whispered in his ear:

'We have no money, my poor Mannikin, and we are altogether badly
off, and at a loss to know what to do next.'

'Yes, indeed,' answered the Prince ruefully, 'and I have nothing
to give you, no sugar or biscuits, or anything that you like, my
pretty one.'

'Since you are so thoughtful for me, and so patient about your own
affairs,' said the little monkey, 'I will show you the way to the
Golden Rock, only you must leave Mousta to wait for you here.'

Prince Mannikin agreed willingly, and then the little monkey
sprang from his shoulder to the nearest tree, and began to run
through the wood from branch to branch, crying, 'Follow me.'

This the Prince did not find quite so easy, but the little monkey
waited for him and showed him the easiest places, until presently
the wood grew thinner and they came out into a little clear grassy
space at the foot of a mountain, in the midst of which stood a
single rock, about ten feet high. When they were quite close to it
the little monkey said:

'This stone looks pretty hard, but give it a blow with your spear
and let us see what will happen.'

So the Prince took his spear and gave the rock a vigorous dig,
which split off several pieces, and showed that, though the
surface was thinly coated with stone, inside it was one solid mass
of pure gold.

Thereupon the little monkey said, laughing at his astonishment:

'I make you a present of what you have broken off; take as much of
it as you think proper.'

The Prince thanked her gratefully, and picked up one of the
smallest of the lumps of gold; as he did so the little monkey was
suddenly transformed into a tall and gracious lady, who said to
him:

'If you are always as kind and persevering and easily contented as
you are now you may hope to accomplish the most difficult tasks;
go on your way and have no fear that you will be troubled any more
for lack of gold, for that little piece which you modestly chose
shall never grow less, use it as much as you will. But that you
may see the danger you have escaped by your moderation, come with
me.' So saying she led him back into the wood by a different path,
and he saw that it was full of men and women; their faces were
pale and haggard, and they ran hither and thither seeking madly
upon the ground, or in the air, starting at every sound, pushing
and trampling upon one another in their frantic eagerness to find
the way to the Golden Rock.

'You see how they toil,' said the Fairy; 'but it is all of no
avail: they will end by dying of despair, as hundreds have done
before them.'

As soon as they had got back to the place where they had left
Mousta the Fairy disappeared, and the Prince and his faithful
Squire, who had greeted him with every demonstration of joy, took
the nearest way to the city. Here they stayed several days, while
the Prince provided himself with horses and attendants, and made
many enquiries about the Princess Sabella, and the way to her
kingdom, which was still so far away that he could hear but
little, and that of the vaguest description, but when he presently
reached Mount Caucasus it was quite a different matter. Here they
seemed to talk of nothing but the Princess Sabella, and strangers
from all parts of the world were travelling towards her father's
Court.

The Prince heard plenty of assurances as to her beauty and her
riches, but he also heard of the immense number of his rivals and
their power. One brought an army at his back, another had vast
treasures, a third was as handsome and accomplished as it was
possible to be; while, as to poor Mannikin, he had nothing but his
determination to succeed, his faithful spaniel, and his ridiculous
name—which last was hardly likely to help him, but as he could
not alter it he wisely determined not to think of it any more.
After journeying for two whole months they came at last to
Trelintin, the capital of the Princess Sabella's kingdom, and here
he heard dismal stories about the Ice Mountain, and how none of
those who had attempted to climb it had ever come back. He heard
also the story of King Farda-Kinbras, Sabella's father. It
appeared that he, being a rich and powerful monarch, had married a
lovely Princess named Birbantine, and they were as happy as the
day was long—so happy that as they were out sledging one day they
were foolish enough to defy fate to spoil their happiness.

'We shall see about that,' grumbled an old hag who sat by the
wayside blowing her fingers to keep them warm. The King thereupon
was very angry, and wanted to punish the woman; but the Queen
prevented him, saying:

'Alas! sire, do not let us make bad worse; no doubt this is a
Fairy!'

'You are right there,' said the old woman, and immediately she
stood up, and as they gazed at her in horror she grew gigantic and
terrible, her staff turned to a fiery dragon with outstretched
wings, her ragged cloak to a golden mantle, and her wooden shoes
to two bundles of rockets. 'You are right there, and you will see
what will come of your fine goings on, and remember the Fairy
Gorgonzola!' So saying she mounted the dragon and flew off, the
rockets shooting in all directions and leaving long trails of
sparks.

In vain did Farda-Kinbras and Birbantine beg her to return, and
endeavour by their humble apologies to pacify her; she never so
much as looked at them, and was very soon out of sight, leaving
them a prey to all kinds of dismal forebodings. Very soon after
this the Queen had a little daughter, who was the most beautiful
creature ever seen; all the Fairies of the North were invited to
her christening, and warned against the malicious Gorgonzola. She
also was invited, but she neither came to the banquet nor received
her present; but as soon as all the others were seated at table,
after bestowing their gifts upon the little Princess, she stole
into the Palace, disguised as a black cat, and hid herself under
the cradle until the nurses and the cradle-rockers had all turned
their backs, and then she sprang out, and in an instant had stolen
the little Princess's heart and made her escape, only being chased
by a few dogs and scullions on her way across the courtyard. Once
outside she mounted her chariot and flew straight away to the
North Pole, where she shut up her stolen treasure on the summit of
the Ice Mountain, and surrounded it with so many difficulties that
she felt quite easy about its remaining there as long as the
Princess lived, and then she went home, chuckling at her success.
As to the other Fairies, they went home after the banquet without
discovering that anything was amiss, and so the King and Queen
were quite happy. Sabella grew prettier day by day. She learnt
everything a Princess ought to know without the slightest trouble,
and yet something always seemed lacking to make her perfectly
charming. She had an exquisite voice, but whether her songs were
grave or gay it did not matter, she did not seem to know what they
meant; and everyone who heard her said: